Ford Issues Two Safety Recalls on ~550,000 Vehicles

The Fusion is aimed at the heart of the family car market long dominated by the Japanese Three – Toyota, Nissan and Honda – all of whom historically provide a lower overall cost of ownership, much higher quality and customer loyalty.

Ford is issuing two safety recalls in North America. The first covers 2013-2016 Fusion cars and Escape crossovers for serious defects that appear to be a routine supplier matter. On 2013-16 model year Ford Fusion and 2013-14 Ford Escape vehicles the shifter cable bushings are bad. It’s thebushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission, but it can detach from the transmission. This safety defect can allow the transmission to be in a gear different than the gear shift position selected by the driver.

The potentially deadly defect could allow the driver to move the shift lever to “Park” and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in “Park,” with no warning message or audible chime. If the parking brake is not applied, a degraded shifter cable bushing that detaches from the transmission could result in “unintended vehicle movement,” increasing the risk of injury or crash.

Ford says it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this defect.

The recall involves approximately 549,401 vehicles in North America, including 504,182 in the United States and federalized territories, 36,887 in Canada, and 8,332 in Mexico. The Ford reference number for this recall is 18S20.

Dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing at no cost to the customer as is required by U.S. regulations. “Owners should use their parking brake,” said Ford.

Ford Truck Safety Recall

Some 2018 Ford stripped chassis incomplete vehicles with 22.5-inch wheels and 22,000-, 24,000- or 26,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating for non-heat-treated front-wheel studs. Ford said it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition. Affected vehicles include 2018 F-53 stripped chassis incomplete vehicles built at Detroit Chassis Plant between June 13-22, 2018.

Affected Vehicles:

The recall involves approximately 162 incomplete vehicles in the United States. The Ford reference number for this recall is 18S21. Affected up-fitters and dealers will be notified by mail and instructed to inspect, remove and replace the suspect front-wheel hub studs as required, following the dealer bulletin technical instructions.

About Ken Zino

Ken Zino is an auto industry veteran with global experience in print and electronic media. He has auto testing, marketing, public relations and communications expertise garnered while working in Asia, Europe and the U.S.